There's a lot of speculation that Cumulus is about to "blow up" the two-year disaster that is the "all-news" format afflicting KGO Radio.
Nothing is concrete but there exists these possibilities:
**A higher-up from Atlanta is meeting with all the air-talent tomorrow, (Friday) for what's been called a "meet-and-greet"--nothing more. Could that meeting involve terminations? Perhaps, I've been hearing from both sides. One theory making the rounds is that management might tweak the current format. The possibility of a hybrid system exists meaning they could keep both the morning and PM news blocks around and bring back the talk format in a limited schedule.
**A higher-up from Atlanta is meeting with all the air-talent tomorrow, (Friday) for what's been called a "meet-and-greet"--nothing more. Could that meeting involve terminations? Perhaps, I've been hearing from both sides. One theory making the rounds is that management might tweak the current format. The possibility of a hybrid system exists meaning they could keep both the morning and PM news blocks around and bring back the talk format in a limited schedule.
**Even by Cumulus, post/2011 standards, KGO's ratings have never been lower, to the extent that their ad lineage is significantly leaner. Outside of a few Sleeptrains here and Conklin Brothers there, nobody is buying air time on KGO. No surprise.
**The PD has taken a low-key position since taking over but has been irked and vastly disappointed by some of his worker bees who don't take direction.
Bottom line: Something's going down, and Friday seems convenient --it is, after all, the end of the month too. If I were an on-air talent at KGO, (minus Ronn Owens), I might head over to the Old Ship tonight.
**Developing...
*Follow me on Twitter
It has, in the last few weeks, become more of a mess!
ReplyDeleteKarel had ads for a dial-a-psychic service on his show over the weekend. (Any chance he's brokering his show? I haven't heard the ad any other time on the station.)
I feel sorry for the blind guy who can't sleep (or is it can't stay awake?) but enough already of that ad. Kars4Kids and the powder that brings dogs back from the dead have even jumped ship as far as I can tell.
What does Cumulus have in their stable of fully automated talk shows that might fly in this market?
Is there a way for them to break the union? Without having to have an engineer, screener and on-air person being paid, it seems to me the talk format becomes a lot more viable. Hosts on our community station here in Sonoma all run their own boards and it sounds 90+% as good as KGO does most days. Having the host screen the calls is tough...although I've known hosts that do it...I think Karel does it sometimes and there used to be a guy on KFI (Los Angeles) who used the stage name "Mr. KFI" who screened his own calls during news breaks.
Jason, take your Fisher-Price microphone and keep practicing. A community station in Sonoma is a far cry from a major market station in SF.
DeleteReally? At KGO where the old bench are now the starters? And where cumulus brings in failed hosts at ksfo and new people like Ryan Scott and Maureen? No, he's not far off.
DeleteAnon @3:11...I'm not saying our CONTENT is as good (although quite a bit of it is pretty darn good) but the actual SOUND of the station, with hosts running their own boards, is fine.
DeleteOh...one more thing...what are the chances the Conklin Brothers ads are trade-out for work done when they renovated 55 Hawthorne?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Dickey will show. If he does can someone please flip him the bird for me. Too bad he wasn't one of the one stranded on the side of the road in Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteEnough of the repulsive Karel and his dead ex, ha ha. And the blind guy? And the mattress guy? We will be so glad to get these creeps off the air at last!
ReplyDeleteWho the heck is the blind guy? I know Matress man is somewhat cock eyed but definitely not blind.
DeleteI pretty sure that even if he wasn't totally blind, he still couldn't see the people listening to him.
ReplyDeleteYou've pretty much covered all the possibilities.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, you can say you were right once the results of the meeting become public.
Genius Rich!
It is possible that Ronn's contract is reduced to the point that a buy out won't be that expensive. Wouldn't that be ironic?
ReplyDeleteYeah I thought the same.
DeleteA lower cost replacement would make sense in these tight economic times..
If KGO became the flagship home to the Oakland A's, would their ratings go up or down?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that KGO had the brilliant idea in 2010 that they would cut costs (i.e., on-air talent) and keep their gross revenue the same as prior years. This would the same as the SF Giants deciding to trade away all players with contracts over a million dollars and still expect sell out crowds at the ballpark and still expect fans to pay $10 for a Bud and $13 for garlic fries. The brain trust at KGO lacks a brain. Rule #1 of business: it takes money to make money. Rule #2, if you cut the core of your business (the on-air talent) revenue is going to drop. Cumulus thought KGO would earn NY Yankee money by putting out the Houston Astros.
ReplyDelete> The brain trust at KGO lacks a brain.
DeleteSubstitute "every Bay Area media outlet" for "KGO" and you're 100 percent correct.
Adios, Karel, & take Langan with you.
ReplyDeleteI heard Pat Olson doing play by play of the Warriors on the other night on KNBR.
ReplyDelete"Curry takes the outside shot, GOOOOOOOOD!'
Is he still doing the USF hoops games? Wasn't he on KNBR years ago?
Yes and he is famous for his Jim Brovelli tirade at the officals.
DeleteWill Ronn go on air and say how excited he is about the new new format?
ReplyDeleteEveryone will get what they want in them going back to talk.
ReplyDeleteThen they'll bring back Gil Gross and everyone will bitch about the hosts....yet again.
Please, please, please get rid of Karel, Maureen, and the terrible chef, Ryan Scott, and all the horrible people that are advertising now...I will NEVER get windows from the idiots Kathleen and Bill and their children...horrible commercials... and the blind sleep deprived man...ugh, ugh, ugh it is on CONSTANTLY ... then there is the dynowhatever for pets... feed it to all the Cumulus brass and put them in a room with only Karel, Maureen, Chef Ryan Scott with his "Secret Asian Man" and the commercials from Bill and Kathleen and the sleep deprived blind man, while constantly feeding them dynovite ..,those three commercials are SO bad that I am almost looking forward to the CARS4Kids spots, because they are only on a couple of times a day.
ReplyDeleteGive some GOOD constant time to Pat Thurston and to Christine...I may not always agree with them, but at least they are intelligent ...unlike the other ones. LC
There are 3 big league sports teams in this area needing a better flagship station (4 if you count Warriors). Gather up those teams and turn KGO into another 50k watt sports station. Get rid of 1050. It works for 680 it could work for 810.
ReplyDelete"Could the KGO Radio Ship Be 'Blown Up' on Friday?"
ReplyDeleteRich can only hope and dream. Probably nothing will happen. Typically Lieberman predicts some monumental event which never happens.
If those bastards decide to return to the talk format will it mean they caused Gene Burns' death for nothing? I do hope they get rid of the NY Comedian and the idiot Chef Scott Ryan. Karel used to be entertaining but he's just downright annoying today.
ReplyDeleteNot sure why Maureen is in the cross hairs of everyone. She's not that bad. She was in the beginning but I think it's overstated. No, I'm not her.
ReplyDelete@ Jason at 1:15; the carpets at 55 Hawthorne are a deplorable mess. Literally patched due to numerous space shufflings, they are threadbare and stained on both floors of the Cumulus cluster. I assure, you Conklin Bros would be aghast. Those carpets are easily decades old, and heavily worn.
ReplyDeleteThen maybe they SHOULD have done some trade out! Thanks for the info.
DeleteNo to the post at 5:13pm.
ReplyDeleteInstead look for Ronn (with two "n"s no less) to discuss the issue of cell phone use while driving.
As only Ronn can do so well.
Next topic . . . the latest instllament of American Idol.
Maureen is that nice gal standing in line for the restroom .... at a cheesy bar.
ReplyDeleteSo nice ....... And so dumb ..... She forgot about the restroom just telling her sorry story to you.... Her show is.... bla...bla...bla.... boring!
KGO's ads suck to the max.... Ovation cell therepy? Kars4Kids... And Cistic Pavers.
I say ....Blow the ship up !
Even a country music station would be better! Or Cumulus owned TOC oldies.
They are at bottom now. Can't really get worse. (Look at the ads) ....LOL
KGO ratings are below all the FM music stations.
ReplyDeleteSo Sad.
Wow Rich....Very interesting news!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear a Radio format similar to CNN TV's 'Crossfire'.
Having two hosts, one from each political party, discussing current politics. A first step in a return to 'The Fairness Doctrine' that Reagan did away with, resulting now in only Republican screaming talk radio.
How refreshing it would be...to hear both sides of the story!
I have no idea what any of you are talking about. Maybe it's because I stopped listening to KGO a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteKGO: didn't that used to be a radio station?
ReplyDeleteTwo has-beens talking about politics from the parties of decline: Repub and Demo? Really? Aren't there more people registered as decline to state at this point or who don't vote because they are sick of these dinosaur 19th century parties? Still arguing the same old materialistic philosophy with different gradations of interpretation? I'd rather listen to Karel, who I believe can be reclaimed. He is great on tech and needs to do way more of it. Tech not only is interesting to old folks like me, but the younger demos love it. Esp. in the Bay Area. Karel excels like no one else in broadcast on tech. Yes, I'm tired of his references to boyfriend or no boyfriend (and I'm not saying this because I'm homophobic). I think such personal details of anyone are better left off the air. With regard to his late husband, my heart goes out to him. Karel brought a legal case and won it; I think he should be able to refer to it on occasion. There are always new listeners tuning in who may not know. He needs to interrupt less and be less ADD as a courtesy to himself, his listeners and his guests. It is up to him. If he doesn't make these and other changes, he will be history. I like Thurston. Ronn sounds tired. Bring back Len Tillem (sans sexual jokes, Len. Your recent time on air with Ronn was a disaster). Don't bring back Gil Gross. Maureen is more engaging. For the time of night Maureen is on, I believe she has improved enough. As for KGO News? It's no better or worse than the crap that KCBS sends out. KCBS is a shadow of its former self. It's in KGO's league now. This is not to attack the news people at either station. Most are proficient at their craft. It's just that they are underfunded. Thanks for the forum, Rich.
ReplyDeleteTo the question about USF's Pat Olson....Tim Roye took ill so Pat did play by play with Tolbert as color,,,m
ReplyDelete